Boiler erection apparatus



2 Sheets-Shea F. J. GALEHOUSE BOILER ERECTION APPARATUS Jan. 1, 1957 Filed May 29, 1952 ova/m;

ATTORNEY INVENTOR Jan. l, 1957 F. J. GALEHOUSE BOILER ERECTION APPARATUS 09444;" ATTORNEY R O T N E V m Filed May 29, 1952 United States Patent O 2,775,810 j BOILER ERECTION APPARATUS Frederick J. Galehouse, Alliance, hio, assiguor to The Babcock & Wilcox Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 29, 1952, Serial No. 290,629

4 Claims. (Cl. 29-286) The present invention relates to an apparatus applicable to the erection of tubular heat exchangers or boilers and more particularly to the erection of water tube boilers of an integral furnace type having upper and lower drums connected by tubes and having the combined boiler and furnace assembly mounted on a common rigid base. The apparatus suitably comprises a pairV of mobile erection frames adapted to be brought into operative position relative to a lower boiler drum and, in such a position, to maintain an upper drum in predetermined' relation to the lower drum while tubes are being connected at opposite ends to both drums.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings anddescriptive matter in which I have illustrated' and described an embodiment of my invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view ofboiler erection apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, as seen from the right;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the apparatus, as seen at line3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of a two-drum boiler for-the erection of which the invention is particularly adapted.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the two-drumv boiler unit as completely erected provides a total interior space of rectangular horizontal cross section as defined in part by opposing upright side walls 5, 5. A two-drum boiler tube section 6 at one side, suitably of a bent-tube type, and comprising upper andlower drums 7 and 8, is arrangedA laterally adjacent a tube cooled furnace chamber 9 at the opposite side. The combined boiler and furnace structure is mounted on a rectangular base 10, suitably formed as a heavy structural frame of welded construction and providing a rectangulariloor plate 1,2', the lower boiler drum 8 being received in a slot 13 formed between horizontally spaced portions of'lloor plate 1-2 and being also received in arcuately formed recessed end portions 14, as indicated in Fig. 1, by which its weight is supported adjacent opposite ends.

In the process of assembling a boiler of the form shown in Fig. 4, the base frame 10 is set in position on the shop floor 15, or on any similar ilat supportingv surface, for example, at the location of ultimate use. A series of wooden skids 16 may be utilized for maintaining the base 10 spaced from the bottom supporting surface l5-whereby sling cables may be passed under the assembled unit for lifting it onto a truckV or other carrier for transfer to a different location. The lower drum 8, of circular cross section and formed with radially extending tube; holes or tube seats 17, as shown, is lowered in to position within its supporting recesses 14. SuitableV provision is made; by known means, not shown, for leveling the lower'drum S in its bottom supported position.

In orderl to continue assembly ofthe boiler tube section 2,775,810 Patented Jan. l,v 1957 6, two erection frames 18, 18 are employed, one at each end of the unit, as indicated in Fig. l. These frames are provided for supporting the upper drum 7 in predetermined relation to the lower drum 8, during the process of installing upright tubes connecting both drums, as hereinafter explained. One frame 18 includes a ladder 19, an upper platform 21, and handrail 23, but otherwise both are of identical construction throughout. The frames 18 are of tubular construction throughout and formed respectively with lower basev portions 24 of rectangular plan formation, with all joints between interconnected tube lengths being welded.

At the inner end of each frame 18, upright tubular side members 25, 25 converge upwardly in a vertical plane from horizontal side members 26, of base 24, to opposite end portions of an upper horizontal cross tube member 27 at the upper end of each frame. The converging side members 25, 25 are interconnected and braced intermediate their heights by a cross tube member 28 which extends horizontally therebetween; Vertical tube lengths 29" extend upwardly from cross member 2S to the upper cross member 27, while vertical tube lengths 31 extend downwardly from cross member 28 to horizontal cross tube lengths at the inner end of base portion 24.

At the outer end of each frame 18, upright side members 34, 34 converge upwardly in lan inclined plane from opposite ends of cross tube 35 at the base of the frame, while upper ends thereof are connected to upper portions of vertical tube lengths 29 adjacent the upper cross member 27. Each frame 18 is additionally braced by tubes 36 which extend in a horizontal plane between upright tubes 25 and 34 at the sides, between tubes 25, 25 at one inner end, and between tubes 34, 34 at the outer end.

Casters 37 are secured to the underside of each rectangular frame base portion 24, adjacent all corners thereof, to enable the frames 18 to be rolled into and out of position. Frame adjusting screws 38 are provided adjacent all four corners of each frame to permit the frames to be leveled and plumbed. For this purpose, levels 40' suitably shielded from possible damage may be permanently installed on horizontal tubular components of base portionsy 24. Whenl the frames are leveled, the screws 38v assume alll weight, thus releasing the load from casters 37 and maintaining the frames stationary. In addition, safety catches 39 are provided between the inner end of each frame 18 and base 10 so as to form positive bolted connectionsy therebetween, as shown, and thus maintain the frames lixedin relation to base 10 throughout all assembly operations.

Each frame 18 further includes a tubular bracket 4l projecting from the inner end thereof adjacent the top, each bracket comprising vertical tube lengths 42 to which are secured upper and lower curved saddles 43 and 45 in each of which two drum positioning screws 46 are received, for a purpose hereinafter made apparent. Each bracket 41 includes horizontal tubular portions 47 by which its upper end in secured to a frame tube 27 and its lower end to vertical frame tubes 29.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, with the upper and lower drums 7 and 8 in the positions which they are to occupy in the boiler, the respective saddles 43 and 45 are concentrically curved with respect to the boiler drum 7 or S with which each is associated. Furthermore, the drum positioning screws 46 are mounted in saddles 43 and 45 so as to extend normal to the respective saddles and thus extend radially of the respective drums. In addition, the drum positioning screws 465 are arcuately spaced and centeredv with respect to correspondingly spaced tube holes 1'7` in the respective drums. Each positioning screw 46 is supported in a` shouldered bushing 5.0` having an outer endl portion 51 of smaller diameter inside and outside: than* its remaining inner end portion S2, the smaller outer end portion 51 extending through a hole in the saddle to which it is welded as indicated, and the larger inner end portion 52 having an internally threaded sleeve 53 therein for engagement by a positioning screw 46. The inner end of each screw 46 terminates in a frusto-conical tip 54 adapted to seat within the correspondingly tapered bore of a anged pilot bushing 55 assembled in a tube hole 17. A collar 56 on each screw 46 prevents the conical tip 54 from becoming wedged within the bushing 5S, and furthermore provides a at bearing surface over which the transmitted load is distributed. For the upper drum 7, a lock pin 57 is inserted transversely through the inner end of each bushing 55 to prevent it falling out of the tube hole.

In the use of this invention, the base frame is placed in position, and leveled, with the lower boiler drum 8 resting in the base supports provided, and having the tube holes 17 in longitudinal rows which are disposed in the desired angular relation to horizontal and vertical planes intersecting along the longitudinal axis of the drum. The erection frames 18 are then rolled into place at opposite ends of the base frame 10; the safety latches 39 secured; and the erection frames 18 leveled. The drum positioning screws 46 are then adjusted so as to engage the bushings 55 which have previously been inserted in tube holes 17 at opposite ends of two of the tube rows. The load is then released from the casters 37 so that both frames 18 are now supported by the frame adjusting screws 38. The frames 18 are thus made ready for placement of the upper drum 7, in which bushings 55 are inserted in corresponding tube holes 17 in corresponding rows, and a lock pin 57 passed through the inner end of each top-drum so as to hold the bushings in place until at least a suilicient number of boiler tubes have been assembled to permit the withdrawal of the upper drum positioning screws 46. When the lower drum positioning screws 46 are adjusted, their frusto-conical lower ends 54 become seated within their respective frusto-conical sockets in the members 55 with the tianges or collars 56 seated against the upper ends of bushings 55 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the lower adjusting screws 46 are moved to obtain these relationships before the frames 18 are levelled, the lower parts of the frames nearest the lower drum may be raised slightly to take the weight off the casters 37 nearest the drum. Thereafter the frame adjusting screws 38 may be turned to level the frames. This levelling does not ordinarily appreciably disturb the operative seating of the cones 54 of the lower adjusting screws 46 in their Fig. 3 operative relationships to the bushings 55 but if it should, the screws 46 can be readjusted after the levelling to bring the pertinent cones into their Fig. 3 operative relationships. Such relationships involve the full seating of the cones within their correspondingly formed seats and the initial adjustment of the screws 46 to effect this result may cause some slight horizontal shifting of a frame 18. Such shifting may readily take place because of support of the frame on its casters. Tolerance in the latch connections 39 may also contribute.

The above indicated actions in combination with the similar actions involved in adjusting the upper adjusting screws 46 and the lowering of the upper drum 7 to bring the upper drum into its operative position with the upper cones 54 seated as indicated in Fig. 3, may be termed an indexing action in which the two drums are brought into their accurate operative relationships with the correct tube seats in the upper drum correctly disposed with reference to co-acting tube seats in the lower drum. Such indexing action clearly takes place from some of the tube seats, and preferably from tube seats at the drum ends.

In biinging about the desired results the upper drum may have to be rotationally or endwise adjusted or positioned with reference to the tube seat Centers. Hence the combined action may be referred to as a tube seat centering action. The rotational adjustment of the upper drum, for example, may be eifected by backing off the right hand adjusting screw 46 and turning the left hand upper adjusting screw 46 in the opposite direction, or advancing it.

The invention thus makies it possible to perform all assembly operations on a boiler of the type described at a single location, and is therefore equally adapted for use in the erection of small boilers of a similar type in the field. The mobile erection frames employed effect the alignment and positions of the drums with a minimum of work. Furthermore, the invention features a piece of equipment that is readily adjustable and capable of carrying the drum load while leaving a maximum of area for further work on the unit under assembly.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described herein the best form of my invention now known to me, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention covered by my claims, and that certain features of my invention may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for use in erecting a boiler having upper and lower closed end drums formed with a multiplicity of tube holes or tube seats arranged in corresponding rows extending longitudinally and transversely of the respective drums and having a base on which said lower drum is supported, said apparatus including mobile supports movable into positions respecitvely adjacent opposite ends of said lower drum, means disconnectably attaching the mobile supports to said base, and means carried by said mobile supports including columns for supporting the weight of said upper drum, said means also including upper and lower pairs of adjustable tube seat centering means extending axially into tube seats or tube openings in both drums.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further including saddle members attached to opposite ends of said columns and forming supports for said adjustable centering means, said saddle members being formed as curved plates conforming substantially to the curvatures of the respective drums.

3. The combination of claim 1 further characterized by drum supporting screws having screw-threaded relationship to said columns and constituting said centering means, the drum supporting screws having tapered ends for facilitating entrance into corresponding drum tube seats.

4. The combination of claim 1 further characterized by the tube seat centering means which includes two pairs of drum positioning screws carried by each of said columns with the screws of the upper pair directed along upwardly converging lines disposed substantially radially with respect to the upper drum and with the screws of the lower pair directed along downwardly converging lines disposed substantially radially with respect to the lower drum, each screw having cone and cone socket means at its tube seat entering end to facilitate the alignment of the screw with the axis of a drum tube seat.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,156,965 Ackerman Oct. 19, 1915 1,295,463 Flair Feb. 25, 1919 1,352,285 Landgraf Sept. 7, 1920 1,464,065 Dickover Aug. 7, 1923 1,587,682 Siegfried June 8, 1926 1,762,313 Snow June 10, 1930 1,852,180 McKnight Apr. 5, 1932 1,983,364 Gordon Dec. 4, 1934 2,064,123 Kruse Dec. 15, 1936 2,537,350 Hunt Ian. 9, 1951 

